DATE=05/12/98
TYPE=U-S U-S OPINION ROUNDUP
NUMBER=6-10709
TITLE=THE (INDIAN NUCLEAR) SHOT HEARD ROUND THE WORLD
BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE
TELEPHONE=619-3335
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS
CONTENT=
INTRO: THE UNITED STATES PRESS HAS BEEN QUICK TO RESPOND TO
MONDAY'S STARTLING ANNOUNCEMENT THAT INDIA HAD EXPLODED A TRIO OF
UNDERGROUND NUCLEAR BOMBS, INCLUDING A HYDROGEN BOMB, NOT FAR
FROM THE PAKISTANI BORDER.
ALTHOUGH THE NEWS WAS SO SIGNIFICANT THAT MANY PAPERS DECIDED TO
TAKE A DAY TO TOTALLY DIGEST AND WEIGH ITS SIGNIFICANCE, THERE
ARE SEVERAL EARLY REACTIONS, AND ________________ JOINS US NOW
WITH A SAMPLING IN TODAY'S U-S OPINION ROUNDUP.
TEXT: NOT OFTEN, SINCE A SMALL BAND OF COLONIAL FARMERS STOOD ON
THE BRIDGE AT CONCORD, MASSACHUSETTS, AND FACED THE BRITISH RED
COATED ARMY, PRIOR TO THE AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR, HAS THIS
PHRASE BEEN SO APPROPRIATE.
IT WAS - - "THE SHOT HEARD ROUND THE WORLD" ALL RIGHT. BUT THIS
"SHOT" WAS ACTUALLY A SERIES OF THREE, SIMULTANEOUS, NUCLEAR,
UNDERGROUND EXPLOSIONS THAT RUMBLED THROUGH THE DESERT IN FAR-OFF
RAJASTHAN STATE MONDAY, THE FIRST NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS IN INDIA
SINCE 1974.
IT SET OFF AN UNPRECEDENTED ROUND OF ANALYSIS AND COMMENT IN THE
UNITED STATES PRESS.. "THE WALL STREET JOURNAL" BEGINS ITS FRONT
PAGE STORY THIS WAY -- "INDIA IS HEADING DOWN A DANGEROUS ROAD.
THE COUNTRY'S PROVOCATIVE UNDERGROUND TESTS ....SHOW THAT ITS NEW
HINDU-NATIONALIST-LED GOVERNMENT MEANS BUSINESS WHEN IT SAYS IT
WANTS TO MAKE INDIA A WORLD POWER. BUT THE TESTS ALSO ENTAIL
GRAVE RISKS: DIPLOMATIC WRATH, LIKELY TRADE SANCTIONS AT A TIME
WHEN THE COUNTRY NEEDS FOREIGN INVESTMENT, POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO
BUDDING TIES WITH THE U-S, AND A COSTLY AND DEADLY ARMS RACE WITH
CHINA AND PAKISTAN."
WRITING A FRONT PAGE NEWS ANALYSIS IN "THE WASHINGTON POST," R.
JEFFREY SMITH SAID -- "THE SEISMIC WAVES TOOK JUST 20-MINUTES TO
DISSIPATE IN THE EARTH'S CRUST, BUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE
EXPLOSIONS WILL PERSIST IN WASHINGTON AND OTHER CAPITALS FOR
MONTHS IF NOT YEARS."
AND IN "THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR," ONE FINDS THIS QUOTE ON
THE FRONT PAGE FROM A U-S CONGRESSIONAL ARMS-CONTROL EXPERT, JOHN
MEDALIA -- "ALL OF A SUDDEN, INDIA HAS TOSSED A MATCH ONTO A TANK
OF GASOLINE (PETROL)."
TURNING NOW TO THE E D I T O R I A L PAGES OF SOME OF THE
NATION'S DAILIES, WE BEGIN FAR OUT IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN. ON THE
ISLAND STATE OF HAWAII, THE "HONOLULU STAR-BULLETIN" WORRIES:
VOICE: THE WORLD HAS SUDDENLY BECOME A MORE DANGEROUS PLACE
WITH INDIA'S ..... TEST EXPLOSIONS. CHINA AND FRANCE
CONDUCTED NUCLEAR TESTS IN RECENT YEARS, BUT NEITHER IS
LIKELY TO USE NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN ANY CURRENT DISPUTE.
INDIA AND PAKISTAN HAVE FOUGHT THREE WARS, AND THE
THREAT OF WAR BETWEEN THEM IS NEVER VERY REMOTE. THE
NEXT ONE COULD BE NUCLEAR. THE BHARATIYA JANATA PARTY
TOOK OFFICE IN MARCH DECLARING THAT INDIA WOULD TAKE ALL
STEPS TO PROTECT ITS TERRITORY, INCLUDING BUILDING
NUCLEAR WEAPONS, TO COUNTER ADVENTURISM BY PAKISTAN.
THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE TEST EXPLOSIONS - - THE FIRST
BY INDIA SINCE 1974 - - CONTAINED THE FIRST
CONFIRMATION THAT THE GOVERNMENT NOW HAS THE ABILITY TO
BUILD SUCH WEAPONS. ..... THE VICTORY OF THE HINDU
NATIONALIST BHARATIYA JANATA PARTY IN INDIA HAS ADDED A
DESTABILIZING ELEMENT TO THE FRAGILE PEACE BETWEEN INDIA
AND PAKISTAN. WASHINGTON MUST USE ITS INFLUENCE WITH
BOTH COUNTRIES TO PREVENT THE POTENTIAL FOR NUCLEAR WAR
FROM BECOMING REALITY.
TEXT: MORE THAN FOUR-THOUSAND KILOMETERS AWAY, THE LEAD
HEADLINE IN LONG ISLAND'S "NEWSDAY" ON TUESDAY [5/12]
READS:"INDIA'S BIG BANG," AND THE SUB HEADLINE CONTINUES: "THE
NEW GOVERNMENT WAS MOST UNWISE TO TEST NUKES; NOW SANCTIONS MUST
BE APPLIED."
VOICE: WHAT IN THE WORLD WERE THEY THINKING? INDIAN LEADERS'
DECISION TO EXPLODE THREE NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN UNDERGROUND
TESTS YESTERDAY WAS PROVOCATIVE, RECKLESS, AND
INCREDIBLY STUPID. ...THE UNITED STATES WILL HAVE NO
CHOICE BUT TO RETALIATE WITH THE STIFF SANCTIONS
DEMANDED BY LAW: AN IMMEDIATE CUTOFF OF ECONOMIC AND
MILITARY AID AND A FREEZE ON LOANS BY INTERNATIONAL
LENDING INSTITUTIONS. ... WORTH MONITORING WILL BE THE
REACTIONS OF THE RUSSIAN AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS.
...NONE OF THIS BODES WELL. THE TESTS ARE PARTICULARLY
DISTRESSING BECAUSE THEY WERE GRATUITOUS -- AN ABSURD
MOVE MOTIVATED IN ALL LIKELIHOOD, BY INDIA'S CHAOTIC
DOMESTIC POLITICS.
TEXT: "THE SUN" IN BALTIMORE IS ALSO CONCERNED, AS IT TRIES TO
ANALYZE THE MOTIVE BEHIND THE BLASTS.
VOICE: STRATEGICALLY, INDIA'S EXPLOSION OF THREE NUCLEAR
DEVICES BENEATH THE DESERT NEAR PAKISTAN... IS AIMED AT
A STRONGER CHINA. THE TWO FOUGHT IN 1962 NEAR THEIR
HIMALAYAN BORDERS WHEN NEITHER WAS NUCLEAR. NOW CHINA
IS DEVELOPING ITS MILITARY CAPABILITIES RAPIDLY, AND ITS
GROWING NAVAL CAPABILITIES DISTURB INDIA.
DIPLOMATICALLY, INDIA'S MUSCLE-FLEXING IS AIMED MORE AT
PAKISTAN, THE WEAKER NEIGHBOR THAT UNDERMINES INDIA'S
RULE IN DISPUTED KASHMIR AND JAMMU. ...FOR MUCH OF
INDIA'S TECHNOLOGY SECTOR, THE TESTS ARE A WELCOME
DISPLAY OF NATIONAL PROWESS. BUT INDIA'S FIRST TESTING
SINCE 1974 OF MORE SOPHISTICATED DEVICES IS
DESTABILIZING. IT COULD PANIC PAKISTAN INTO OPEN
COMPETITION.
TEXT: IN CALIFORNIA, "THE LOS ANGELES TIMES" CALLS THE MOVE
PLAYING "WITH NUCLEAR FIRE."
VOICE: INDIA'S NEW GOVERNMENT TOOK POWER TWO MONTHS AGO WITH A
HARD FOREIGN POLICY LINE, INCLUDING THE APPALLING THREAT
TO DEVELOP NUCLEAR WEAPONS. EVEN MORE SHOCKING WAS
MONDAY'S ANNOUNCEMENT THAT THREE UNDERGROUND NUCLEAR
DEVICES HAD BEEN DETONATED ... MONDAY'S EXPLOSIONS
...RAISE THE STAKES AGAIN IN SOUTH ASIA, A RESTIVE
REGION LONG CONSIDERED VULNERABLE TO NUCLEAR WAR.
PAKISTAN, PREDICTABLY, PLEDGED TO TAKE 'ALL APPROPRIATE
MEASURES FOR ITS SECURITY.' NUCLEAR EXPERTS BELIEVE
...THE ISLAMABAD REGIME IS CAPABLE OF ASSEMBLING A
NUCLEAR WEAPON ON SHORT NOTICE. CHINA, WHICH FOUGHT A
WAR WITH INDIA IN 1962, OBVIOUSLY MUST BE CONCERNED BY
MONDAY'S NEWS.
TEXT: WITH THOSE THOUGHTS FROM "THE LOS ANGELES TIMES," WE
CONCLUDE THIS SAMPLING OF EARLY EDITORIAL REACTION TO
INDIA'S NUCLEAR TESTS ANNOUNCED MONDAY. (SIGNED)
NEB/ANG/PT
12-May-98 5:40 PM EDT (2140 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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